Apparatus for forming hard-rubber battery-jars.



APPARATUS FOR FORMING HARD RUBBER BATTERYJARS.. APPLICATION FILED NOV-3.1916.

1,242,776. Patented Oct. 9,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- S. CURTIS.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING HARD RUBBER BATTERYJARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3. 1916.

I 1,242,776.. Patented 0m, 1917.

SNYDER CURTIS, OF TRENTON, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO EVELYN E. CURTIS, OF

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING HARD-RUBBER BATTERY-JARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 3, 1916. Serial No. 129,379.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SNYDER CUR'rIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Forming Hard-Rubber Battery-Jars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of vessels or receptacles from a moldable material preferably in sheet form, and more particularly, has special reference to the making of battery jars from hard calendered rubber stock.

To this end, the invention contemplates a novel method whereby jars used in connection with electrical storage batteries and the like, may be readily and quickly formed in a minimum time in a rapid, economical, and

present invention contemplates the making of the process entirely commercial the employment of means whereby the ar may be readily made in different sizes, with considerable rapidity without impairing the accuracy and quality of the product.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The essential features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification to a reasonable extentwithout departing from the scope of the appended claims, but for the purposes of illustration, the drawings show a preferred method of carrying the invention into effect both as to process and means.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus, having the means for carrying out the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but

showing the primary forming unit of the apparatus open-and the finishing unit thereof closed.

. Fig. 4 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing the relative position of the sheet rubber on-the molding core, prior to the lifting of the latter into engagement with the clamping or abutment disk carried by the upper part of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the step in which the side edges of the jar are turned down over and into engagement with the bottom section of the jar to initially and partially unite these two elements.

Fig. 6 is a more or less diagrammatic view of the finishing unit, showing the partially completed jar after being removed from the primary unit, in position to be pressed into final shape. I I

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the press entirely closed.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

As previously indicated, in carrying out the present invention, it is proposed to form the battery jars of hard calendered stock rubber, preferably about one-eighth of an inch thick, and in sheet form of suitable dimensions according to the size and shape of the jar to be formed. Accordingly, to this end, the invention proposes to use sections or lengths of sheet rubber which have been previously heated to working plasticity, and then placed in a primary forming unit which forms the sides of the jar and also turns one edge thereof down into contact with a bottom section to preliminarily unite the bottom and sides. After this step, the partially formed receptacle is'then placed in a finishing unit wherein it is subjected to heat and pressure which renders the sides and bottom substantially homogeneous.

Thus, by way of observing more in detail the general steps of the method set forth, reference may be had to Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 section b The said bottom forming section b is then clamped between the head of the core and the relatively fixed abutment 8 when the core 1 is lifted from the position shown in Fig. 4: into the position shown in Fig. 5, and

at the same time, the said forming material carried by the core is brought into position to be operated upon by a suitable molding element 6, preferably in the form of a roller having at its upper edge a beveled flange portion 10 which terminates at a point substantially coincident with the top of the core r when the same is elevated. The rotation of the core 1", abutment element 8, and the molding element 6, quickly causes the side forming section a to have its upper edge a.

formed into a flange that is bent over and toward the bottom forming section b, as shown, whereby, because of the plasticity of both, the peripheral edge portion of the latter, becomes joined or united with the side forming section throughout the line of contact. operation, the bottom forming section and side forming section become preliminarily united, while at the same time, the jar is given its shape and made ready for the subsequent step. Furthermore, the side seam of the jar is formed in this step.

After the jar is thus formed, it is then removed from the core r and placed on the core 1; of a finishing unit as shown in Fig. 6, wherein the side forming section a is positioned to be operated upon by a plurality of hinged presser-plate elements w, and the bottom section is arranged on top of the core a; to be acted upon by a vertically movable press head 40 having means at its outer edges for causing the presser elements to to firmly and rigidly compress the side forming section a at the same time its central portion at presses down the upstanding flange portion 0 into contact with the edges of the bottom forming section b. The presser elements w are preferably heated, as for instance, by the electrical heating means y, for the purpose of providing additional heat for performing the final pressing operation.

Referring now to Fig. 7, which illustrates the finishing step in the operation of the method, it will be observed that the side forming section a is firmly clamped and pressed between the press-plates 'w and core 0 upon the descent of the press head :0, while the flange portion 0 of the side section a is Thusfin this, the second step of the t eatre such as battery jars and the like from a moldable material, preferably in sheet form, in such a manner that although the bottom and side portions thereof are separate, the result of the process is a substantially one-piece receptacle.

One form of apparatus for carrying out the novel method set forth is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein there is shown a machine in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, which can handle the rubber stock with facility and despatch thereby materially enhancing the value of the invention from a commercial and practical standpoint. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the same preferably embodies in its organization, a framework F whose upper surface provides a table portion T, and the primary forming unit designated generally as A and the 'finising unit B arranged in juxtaposition on the framework F, and each having suitable operating connections.

The primary forming unit A which gives the sheet rubber its preliminary shape and form, preferably comprises a rotary platen 1 carried by a plunger shaft 2 having a square portion slidable in the hub of an operating gear 4: suitably journaled beneath the table portion T of the frame F. Furthermore, this shaft is provided with a ball bearing couplingjoint 5 before it enters the air or other fluid pressure chamber P, whereby the rotary movement imparted thereto bythe operating gear 4 will not be transmitted to the plunger end, but the platen may be readily raised and lowered as desired. As will be observed from thesdrawing, the rotary platen 1 has suitably mounted thereon a core 6, which may be of any desired sectional shape and size according to the jar to be made.-

At one side of the platen 1 and core 6, there is preferably arranged a vertical counter shaft 7 having thereon a gear 8 for meshing with the gear 4: to operate the lat= ter, and having at its upper end, a similar gear 9 for meshing with an operating gear 10 carried by a stub shaft 11 mounted in the upper cross frame piece 12 of the framework of the machine. 7 This stub shaft 11 is shiftable vertically through its bearing in the cross frame 12 and also through the gear 10 and is provided at its lower end with an enlarged clamping head 13. -Although this stub shaft is adjustable vertically through the bearing and gear 10 as stated, the same is provided with suitable means, as for instance, a set screw S for locking the same in any desired adjusted position, whereby the clamping head 13 will occupy a relatively fixed position to form an abutment for the upper side of the core 6 when the platen which carries the same is elevated. The extreme lower end of the counter shaft which has thereon the gears 8 and 9 for turning the gears 4 and 10 has fitted thereto a suitable bevel gear 14 which meshes .with a similar gear 15 on a drive shaft 16 which receives its power from an electric motor M, or its equivalent.

At one side of the vertically arranged counter shaft 7, and between the cross frame piece 12, and table T, there is secured a suitable standard 18. On this standard is mount ed a swinging arm 19 having at the free end thereof a yoke portion 20 which forms a journal for a presser roller 21, which though occupying a relatively fixed position, above the table T, is mounted to have a horizontal swinging movement. This roller is provided at its upper edge with an outwardly flared bevel flange 22 which cooperates with the core element 6 during the operation of the primary forming unit to turn down the upper edge of the rubber stock onto the bottom section that is clamped against the head of the core by the clamping head 13. For

the purpose of yieldably holding the roller 21 into engagement with the core 6, there may be utilized a horizontally disposed fluid pressure cylinder 23 carried by the vertical standard 18 of the machine and having a piston arm 25 which pivotally connects as at 26 with the arm 19. Obviously, when pressure in the cylinder 23 pushes out the plunger arm 25, the roller 21 will be yieldingly held in contact with or cushioned against the core 6 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

With the .construction described, it will be apparent that the rotary platen 1 may be freely raised and lowered'by varying the pressures in the fluid pressure cylinder P, whereby the cores 6 may be changed and other adjustments made to adapt the primary forming unit to various requirements of use. Furthermore, the raising and lowering of the platen and core permits the placing of the bottom forming section of the battery jar in position on top of the core, so that when pressure in the cylinder P forces the platen and core upward, the said bottom forming section will be firmly clamped in place, ready for having the edge of the side forming section of the plastic sheet material bent down thereon as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the finishing unit B of the present apparatus, it will be observed that the same essentially comprises a plu rality of press-plate sections 27 which are hinged as at 28 to shiftable adjustment blocks 29, each preferably having a dovetail portion 30 engaging in a correspondingly shaped groove 31 of the table portion -T of the device. .In the present instance,

these press sections 27 are four in number, and are arranged about a core 32 shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and because of their adjustable mounting, it will be clearly apand as indicated at 33, these press plates may be provided. with suitable electrical heating means to supply additional heat to assist in the finishing operation. The said inclined faces 27 of the press sections are engaged by the wedge faces 34 of the adjustable wedge blocks 35 carried by the movable press head designated in its entirety by the reference 36, and which is carried by a plunger shaft 37 having its plunger end operating in a fluid pressure cylinder 38, whereby the said head may be moved into and out of engagement with the press plates 27. I The downward movement of the press head 36, causes the press-plates 27 to press the side forming material of the jar into its final set, and at the same time presses the flange portion 0 into union with the bottom forming section to form the complete receptacle.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the essential features of the invention both as to .process and apparatus will be readily apparent without furt er description, and it will be understood that any changes, within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from thes irit of the invention or sacrificing any 0 the advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making hard rubber battery jars comprising a frame, a'primary forming unit comprisinga vertically movable core, a relatively fixed abutment element, a presser roller at one side of the core, and gearing for rotating said core and relatively fixed abutment element, and a finishing unit arranged in the frame in juxtaposition to said primary forming unit.

2. An apparatus for making hard rubber battery jars comprising a frame, a primary forming unit comprisinga vertically movable core, a relatively fixed abutment arranged in the path of movement of said core, a presser roller mounted to swing in a horizontal plane and having means for directing the same against the sides of the core, said roller having an upwardly flared flange at 1ts upper edge for workin over the upper edge of the core, gearing or rotating the relatively fixed abutment and core at the same speed, and a finishing unit arranged in juxtaposition to said primary forming unit.

3.'An apparatus for making hard rubber battery jars comprising a frame, a primary forming unit including a movable core, fluid pressure means for raising and lowering the core, a relatively fixed abutment arranged in the path of movement of said core, a roller having a beveled flange located at one side of said core and arranged so that the flange thereof works over the upper edge of said core, fluid pressure means for maintaining the roller in engagement with the core, gearing for operating said relatively fixed abutment and said core at the same speed and a finishing unit in said frame and located in juxtaposition to said primary forming unit,

anaemia 4:. An apparatus for making hard rubber battery jars comprising a frame, a primary forming unit arranged in said frame, and

a finishing unit also located in said frame in juxtaposition to the primary unit, said finishing unit comprising a core, press plates adjustably mounted in said frame around said core and having heating means, a ver tically movable press head having a plurality of adjustable wedge blocks for engagingsaid press plates, and a fluid pressure cylinder for controlling the movement of said press head.

In testimony whereof ll hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SNYDER CURTIS.

Witnesses Enrnnx Roenms, lFnmnronn Vossnnn. 

